Ars Technicast, Episode 7—Don’t mess with my desk

We talk desk setups, ergonomics, peripherals, and the swoosh of a trackball.

A desk is more than just a place to sit and work. For many of us, it’s a way of life. On this episode of the Ars Technicast, we share details about our own desk setups. We discuss ergonomics, elevatable desks, minimalism, and even DIY tricks like laptop hammocks. Our workflows inform how we each set up our desks, and we’ll chat about how you can get the most productivity out of your own workspace (below, we share pictures of each of our offices, and you’ll see some of our pets make a cameo or two.) You can also hear Peter become the human trackball as he imitates its sound.

Promoted Comments

How the hell did I miss the laptop hammock article before?! That's AWESOME, Casey! I have several clients that I just sent that video to. One laughed and asked if it's for sale yet. He said he'd happily pay $30 for one if you commercialize it but, as an attorney, he needs one a little more polished. Another client that's a crafter is happily making one from materials she had on hand as I type this.

This was a well-timed article. After a recent move, I ditched my old, attractive but built-in-1990-the-keyboard-tray-hits-my-knees-um-where-does-the-mouse-go solid wood desk in favor of a new, sleek Merido collection L-shape from Office Max and have been spending this week making minor improvements to my setup (cable collection, clutter removal, etc.). As a law student, I spend a tremendous amount of time at my desk, so it needs to reflect both my personality and my workflow. It's obviously given me much to think about, and this Technicast was a great way to compare things I appreciate to the things other people appreciate.

I'm quite proud of how my setup is turning out. I'd love to see a continuation of this in the forums where Ars readers can share their setups and suggestions. I'd start one up, but as I'm at the office-office and not the home-office, pictures will have to wait.

A couple tricks in the meantime that I have embraced:* Use 3M mounting tape to add pen-holders to the back of your monitor if you want a clutter-free desk or don't have drawers.* If you float your desk but feel a little claustrophobic from three-thousand monitors surrounding you, take a picture from the perspective of you sitting at your desk without your monitors, then crop them down and set them as your background to give you the illusion of "transparent" monitors. I've even set mine to change through different times of the day to get the lighting right.* Get a single 8.5"x11" document holder as your "inbox." Then read up on GTD and practice it judiciously. It'll keep you out of the habit of making piles.* If you're not likely to move around a lot, get a really nice chair. Your chair should be worth more than your desk. I was fortunate enough to receive a really nice Herman Miller from a friend who we took in when he lost his house to flooding. Since adjusting it properly, I no longer have severe back problems or leg circulation problems. * If you don't have natural sunlight, use color-corrected lighting to compensate. It usually costs the same amount for standard, blindness/migraine-inducing incandescents, CFLs, or fluorescent tubes. * Spend some time thinking about cable management. Not only will it look better (and make you feel better as a result), it will keep things from getting snarled or your mouse cord from getting "short-sheeted." I dislike clip-ties, but velcro ties, 3m clips, and cable wraps do a great job of hiding the mess while ensuring movability. It also keeps sharp blades away from your wires...

106 posts | registered May 27, 2010

Cesar Torres
Cesar is the Social Editor at Ars Technica. His areas of expertise are in online communities, human-computer interaction, usability, and e-reader technology. Cesar lives in New York City. Emailcesar.torres@arstechnica.com//Twitter@Urraca

43 Reader Comments

I'm struck by how spartan Cesar's desk is. Mayhaps he pulled a rush clean before taking that pic?Also, Ryan's going to get a kidney stone from all of that rootbeer, just ask SeverusX how fun that is And for my last bit of snark: Sporty Spice? C'mon Dr. Pizza!

How the hell did I miss the laptop hammock article before?! That's AWESOME, Casey! I have several clients that I just sent that video to. One laughed and asked if it's for sale yet. He said he'd happily pay $30 for one if you commercialize it but, as an attorney, he needs one a little more polished. Another client that's a crafter is happily making one from materials she had on hand as I type this.

I'm struck by how spartan Cesar's desk is. Mayhaps he pulled a rush clean before taking that pic?Also, Ryan's going to get a kidney stone from all of that rootbeer, just ask SeverusX how fun that is And for my last bit of snark: Sporty Spice? C'mon Dr. Pizza!

Edit: spelling.

It seriously is that clean about 90 percent of the time. I really don't like any clutter!

Maybe they get them for free as part of some Apple/Conde nast perk package?

Haha, no, and we do have PC users at Ars, as well as a lot of staff who use more than one OS (if you look again there is both Windows and Linux in those photos). We're basically all free to use whatever machines allow us to be productive, and for some of us that means a Mac. Not sure what there is to get, OS X is hardly a niche OS these days.

Ryan, have you ever tried a thumb trackball? After trying the palm, index/middle, and thumb orientations, thumb seemed the most natural. The wrist positioning for a palm ball was never comfortable, always needing to hold some weight with my shoulder. The middle-finger ones were "just weird".

I can sling my thumb to get quick movement, precision is great when needed, and have access to 2buttons + wheel. I actually think a trackball is superior for gaming due to never needing to pickup and reset the position of a mouse.

Ryan, have you ever tried a thumb trackball? After trying the palm, index/middle, and thumb orientations, thumb seemed the most natural. The wrist positioning for a palm ball was never comfortable, always needing to hold some weight with my shoulder. The middle-finger ones were "just weird".

I can sling my thumb to get quick movement, precision is great when needed, and have access to 2buttons + wheel. I actually think a trackball is superior for gaming due to never needing to pickup and reset the position of a mouse.

Do you see issues with your thumb joint cramping though? My mouse gives me wrist pain and I want a trackball but I was wondering if it would just give me pain there eventually instead. I wish there was something like Apple's Magic Trackpad (that worked just as good) for Windows.

Ryan, have you ever tried a thumb trackball? After trying the palm, index/middle, and thumb orientations, thumb seemed the most natural. The wrist positioning for a palm ball was never comfortable, always needing to hold some weight with my shoulder. The middle-finger ones were "just weird".

I can sling my thumb to get quick movement, precision is great when needed, and have access to 2buttons + wheel. I actually think a trackball is superior for gaming due to never needing to pickup and reset the position of a mouse.

Do you see issues with your thumb joint cramping though? My mouse gives me wrist pain and I want a trackball but I was wondering if it would just give me pain there eventually instead. I wish there was something like Apple's Magic Trackpad (that worked just as good) for Windows.

I've yet to have an issue with thumb trackballs, I find them worlds of comfort away from regular mice. That said, both have their place on my desk. Trackball for work, laser mouse for gaming. A secondary benefit to using a trackball: most people don't know how to use one and won't be able to mess with your machine as easily because of it. I can't tell you how amusing it is watching some one waving my trackball around the desk and while not being able to fathom why the cursor is moving every which way.

Ryan, have you ever tried a thumb trackball? After trying the palm, index/middle, and thumb orientations, thumb seemed the most natural. The wrist positioning for a palm ball was never comfortable, always needing to hold some weight with my shoulder. The middle-finger ones were "just weird".

I can sling my thumb to get quick movement, precision is great when needed, and have access to 2buttons + wheel. I actually think a trackball is superior for gaming due to never needing to pickup and reset the position of a mouse.

I've tried both and found the thumb models hard to get as much precision as the center. I used to get a light amount of cramping with the index / middle finger after excessive use though, which doesn't happen with the thumb models. By kinesiological analysis, the index / middle finger trackball combo should be the most precise control method given equal muscle training even compared to a conventional mouse.

This was a well-timed article. After a recent move, I ditched my old, attractive but built-in-1990-the-keyboard-tray-hits-my-knees-um-where-does-the-mouse-go solid wood desk in favor of a new, sleek Merido collection L-shape from Office Max and have been spending this week making minor improvements to my setup (cable collection, clutter removal, etc.). As a law student, I spend a tremendous amount of time at my desk, so it needs to reflect both my personality and my workflow. It's obviously given me much to think about, and this Technicast was a great way to compare things I appreciate to the things other people appreciate.

I'm quite proud of how my setup is turning out. I'd love to see a continuation of this in the forums where Ars readers can share their setups and suggestions. I'd start one up, but as I'm at the office-office and not the home-office, pictures will have to wait.

A couple tricks in the meantime that I have embraced:* Use 3M mounting tape to add pen-holders to the back of your monitor if you want a clutter-free desk or don't have drawers.* If you float your desk but feel a little claustrophobic from three-thousand monitors surrounding you, take a picture from the perspective of you sitting at your desk without your monitors, then crop them down and set them as your background to give you the illusion of "transparent" monitors. I've even set mine to change through different times of the day to get the lighting right.* Get a single 8.5"x11" document holder as your "inbox." Then read up on GTD and practice it judiciously. It'll keep you out of the habit of making piles.* If you're not likely to move around a lot, get a really nice chair. Your chair should be worth more than your desk. I was fortunate enough to receive a really nice Herman Miller from a friend who we took in when he lost his house to flooding. Since adjusting it properly, I no longer have severe back problems or leg circulation problems. * If you don't have natural sunlight, use color-corrected lighting to compensate. It usually costs the same amount for standard, blindness/migraine-inducing incandescents, CFLs, or fluorescent tubes. * Spend some time thinking about cable management. Not only will it look better (and make you feel better as a result), it will keep things from getting snarled or your mouse cord from getting "short-sheeted." I dislike clip-ties, but velcro ties, 3m clips, and cable wraps do a great job of hiding the mess while ensuring movability. It also keeps sharp blades away from your wires...

By kinesiological analysis, the index / middle finger trackball combo should be the most precise control method given equal muscle training even compared to a conventional mouse.

Whose analysis? Also I think I find the thumb easier due to the size of the ball compared to the digit motion required. It's far easier for me to flick and spin the thumb wheel (in any direction) than it is to flick the larger middle finger ball. So perhaps there is a gain in precision for small movements, but I'd say it's at the cost of general usability and versatility. And i definitely can't imagine gaming with one ;- )

A secondary benefit to using a trackball: most people don't know how to use one and won't be able to mess with your machine as easily because of it. I can't tell you how amusing it is watching some one waving my trackball around the desk and while not being able to fathom why the cursor is moving every which way.

I wonder if your trackball causes more grief for people borrowing your PC than my left handed mouse does for people borrowing mine.

Back when I was using a symmetric mouse and mirroring the buttons in software I'm fairly sure I would have won. Not only did my mouse look normal to anyone who sat down in front of the computer; but when anyone from corporate IT remoted into my computer, my computer reversed the behavior of their mouse buttons.

Do you see issues with your thumb joint cramping though? My mouse gives me wrist pain and I want a trackball but I was wondering if it would just give me pain there eventually instead. I wish there was something like Apple's Magic Trackpad (that worked just as good) for Windows.

Personally, I don't have any thumbjoint pain, and because the trackball can be ANYWHERE (no need for a flat surface) I can place it wherever's comfortable. Sometimes I put it in my lap and let my arm deadhang. Actually quite comfortable -- not good when needing to switch back to the keyboard often though.

Also, for a while I was using Microsoft Natural Mouse 6000, which for mouse users I highly recommend. The increased angle of the hand feels "weird" at first, but takes the weight off your wrist and onto the side of the "heel" of your hand. Very comfortable, and less extreme than this.

A secondary benefit to using a trackball: most people don't know how to use one and won't be able to mess with your machine as easily because of it. I can't tell you how amusing it is watching some one waving my trackball around the desk and while not being able to fathom why the cursor is moving every which way.

I wonder if your trackball causes more grief for people borrowing your PC than my left handed mouse does for people borrowing mine.

Back when I was using a symmetric mouse and mirroring the buttons in software I'm fairly sure I would have won. Not only did my mouse look normal to anyone who sat down in front of the computer; but when anyone from corporate IT remoted into my computer, my computer reversed the behavior of their mouse buttons.

Ryan, have you ever tried a thumb trackball? After trying the palm, index/middle, and thumb orientations, thumb seemed the most natural. The wrist positioning for a palm ball was never comfortable, always needing to hold some weight with my shoulder. The middle-finger ones were "just weird".

I can sling my thumb to get quick movement, precision is great when needed, and have access to 2buttons + wheel. I actually think a trackball is superior for gaming due to never needing to pickup and reset the position of a mouse.

Yup, I use an aging Microsoft Trackball Explorer for gaming (has a larger ball that you move with your index finger). BF3 headshots-a-plenty. I use my "regular" mouse for my work.

AS far as a desk, I use an Anthro Elevate sit/stand desk. I'm now standing for most of my workday; has helped my trick knee and low back a ton.

So I'm not the only person who will build up like 15 cans of Diet Dr. Pepper before tossing them all out at once...

This is advantageous for multiple reasons:

1) Batch processing/frame burst for the win. It's more efficient to throw many cans away at once than to throw one away each at a time.

2) Having problems with coworker distractions? Or maybe you can't seem to find adequate cover during office Nerf battles? Need to hide your telephone? Build a can fort.

3) Small pests (and occasionally small curious octopi) tend to seek warm, dark places. Distracting them with a food source which is actually not good for them minimizes the chances of them calling your lovely expensive electronics home. Anybody who's worked in electronics refurbishing can tell you some horror stories.

4) Having an available supply of scrap aluminum on hand is advantageous in case of the [robot|zombie] apocolypse. Also, the aluminum can be cut and then shaped into a hat, or trimmed into wire for constructing a Faraday cage.

5) This is obvious product placement.

Seriously, I'm loving Ryan's set-up. Nobody can call you a fanboy when you've got three platforms in front of you (assuming the blank monitor is being driven by the computer below it, and that computer is running some sort of Windows platform). I probably wouldn't have two keyboards and three mice in front of me though. If he used a USB switch and ditched one keyboard and two mice, he'd have room for more diet A&W cans.

A secondary benefit to using a trackball: most people don't know how to use one and won't be able to mess with your machine as easily because of it. I can't tell you how amusing it is watching some one waving my trackball around the desk and while not being able to fathom why the cursor is moving every which way.

I wonder if your trackball causes more grief for people borrowing your PC than my left handed mouse does for people borrowing mine.

Back when I was using a symmetric mouse and mirroring the buttons in software I'm fairly sure I would have won. Not only did my mouse look normal to anyone who sat down in front of the computer; but when anyone from corporate IT remoted into my computer, my computer reversed the behavior of their mouse buttons.

That's brilliant! Bravo sir!

It actually wasn't intentional. The first "victim" of the remoting behavior was someone I like, and who at the time I needed to keep on my good side. I spent about 30 seconds going "wtf why is she right clicking on random things and immediately dismissing the context menus" before figuring it out. After that I tried to remember to turn the swap off before letting them connect. Didn't always remember though.

Seriously, I'm loving Ryan's set-up. Nobody can call you a fanboy when you've got three platforms in front of you (assuming the blank monitor is being driven by the computer below it, and that computer is running some sort of Windows platform). I probably wouldn't have two keyboards and three mice in front of me though. If he used a USB switch and ditched one keyboard and two mice, he'd have room for more diet A&W cans.

Depends what you're doing. My current work setup is 2 computers, 4 screens, 3 mice, and 2 keyboards (3 if you count the one on the laptop sitting on a stack of 4 books to elevate the screen).

My main setup for ~80% of my work is one computer with 2 monitors, both left handed and right handed mice, and a keyboard. To it's left is a 2nd computer with 2 screens (one the elevated laptop), a left handed mouse, and an external keyboard. A KVM wouldn't be that beneficial for me because I'd still need to move the hardware to be in front of the computer I'm using at the moment. Since I'm normally putting ~95% of my focus at any time on one computer a centrally located IO setup would be inconvenient for both and 4 screens with a spans too far into my peripheral vision to be easy to see all at once anyway.

The addition of a right handed mouse on the main (right) pc means that if I need to do something quick on my main machine (is that recently arrived email important?) I have a right handed mouse where my right hand is. I have lots of practice using right handed mice with my left hand, the other way around not so much. It also serves as a pity mouse for any coworker I let borrow my computer for a minute or two.

3) Small pests (and occasionally small curious octopi) tend to seek warm, dark places. Distracting them with a food source which is actually not good for them minimizes the chances of them calling your lovely expensive electronics home. Anybody who's worked in electronics refurbishing can tell you some horror stories.